Child Protective Services (CPS)

If you have been falsely accused of child abuse or neglect in the Dallas / Fort Worth Metroplex and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, or the Child Protective Services (CPS), are investigating your case, it is important to contact an experienced family violence defense lawyer immediately. Often, parents mistakenly believe their case will be dropped if they work with the CPS or the CPS will immediately recognize their innocence.

This is often not the case as the CPS is a governmental investigative agency that frequently violates many parents’ fundamental rights to parent and raise their children without interference by the government. The CPS will commonly remove a child from their home and place the child in foster care. However, CPS caseworkers are required to first consider at least temporary placement with a relative. Therefore, it is important to consult an experienced CPS lawyer who will begin helping you create your best legal defense and identify any legal strategies necessary for your case.

CPS Defense Attorney in the Greater Dallas-Ft. Worth Area

Contact Stuckle & Associates PLLC for a consultation if you are being investigated by the Child Protective Services in the Dallas / Fort Worth Metroplex, including the areas of Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Allen, Carrollton, Richardson, Garland, Irving, Grand Prairie, Mesquite, Denton, Lewisville, and Arlington.

The attorneys of Stuckle & Associates PLLC are experienced in defending cases involving the Texas Department of Family and Protective services. They focus their legal practice on cases involving children and complex, emotionally charged situations, including those of false or exaggerated charges. Call (972) 423-4405 and learn how we can help you through this difficult time.

The Purpose of CPS

The Texas Child Protective Services investigates reports of abuse and neglect of children throughout the state, in addition to:

Placing children in adoptive homes or foster care;

Providing services to children and families in their owns; and

Providing services to youth in foster care as they transition into adulthood.

If anyone reports child abuse or neglect to the CPS, the Child Protective Services will begin an investigation to determine if the allegations are true. They will also examine the individual and family functions to determine whether any child is at risk for abuse or neglect. If the CPS case worker determines this is the case, they will initiate protective services to the child who is in need of protection.

General CPS Investigation Process in Dallas

When investigating allegations of child abuse or neglect are reported to the CPS, they will initiate and complete the investigation within a 30-day period. The CPS caseworker will determine the following after the investigation:

Whether neglect or abuse has occurred;

Whether the child is at further risk of neglect or abuse; and

Whether the child is safe.

When conducting an investigation as to whether child abuse or neglect has occurred, the CPS will generally do any of the following:

Interview the allegedly abused or neglected child, which must be video or audio taped;

Make a reasonable effort to inform the family of any interviews and the nature of the allegations within 24 hours after an investigation has taken place;

Discuss the report with the family to determine if there are any explanations for injuries, safety concerns or risk of child neglect or abuse.

Interview other children in the home;

Visually examine children for physical signs of abuse or neglect;

Interview other people who may have information on the situation;

Request mental health records;

Request medical, psychological or psychiatric examinations of the child or other family members; and

Possible Repercussions from a CPS Investigation

After an investigation into allegations of child abuse or neglect has been conducted by the CPS, they will assign a disposition to the case. This means they will make a determination as to whether there is evidence of abuse or neglect and if the CPS should continue to move forward with the case. The most common dispositions can include any of the following:

Reason to Believe – This disposition is determined by a preponderance of the evidence, and is based on the conclusion that abuse or neglect has occurred.

Ruled Out – This disposition is based on available information as to whether it is reasonable to conclude that abuse or neglect has not occurred.

Unable to Complete – This disposition is based on an investigation that cannot be completed because the family was unable to be located or refused to operate with the investigation.

Unable to Determine – This disposition is an alternative if none of the preceding dispositions apply to the investigation.

Administrative Closure – This disposition is based on evidence that intervention by the CPS is unwarranted or unnecessary.

Additionally, the CPS caseworker must determine if there is a reasonably likelihood to believe the child will be abused or neglected in the future. After conducting the investigation, the caseworker will determine if the children are at risk or if they are not at risk.

The CPS determines the children are not at risk – If there are no significant risk factors and abuse or neglect has not been found to have occurred in the investigation or the case may be closed if the family is willing and able to deal with risk factors in their lives so the children are not at risk through the use of family and community resources.

The CPS determines the children are at risk – If the caseworker identifies significant risk factors or the family is unwilling or unable to deal with risk factors in their lives to ensure the safety of the children in the future through the use of family and community resources.

If a CPS caseworker determines a child is at risk of neglect or abuse, they may proceed with any of the following:

Recommending services the family can utilize to address the problem;

Removing the child from the home;

Opening the case for family based safety services; or

Filing a petition to initiate civil court action in order to protect the victim.

An Attorney's Role in Defending Your Case

An experienced family violence defense lawyer in Dallas and Fort Worth should provide you with the following when defending your CPS case:

Put the CPS on notice that you are fighting for your children, fighting for your rights and fighting for your innocence;

An explanation of the CPS child-taking process and how parental rights may be terminated;

A defense for your case at trial;

Preventing child removal or fighting to have the child returned home if already removed;

Protection of your family rights; and

If child removal is necessary in your case, fighting to have your children placed with family members as opposed to strangers or in foster care.

Additional Resources

Texas Department of Family and Protective Services - Find the offices locations for Region 3 in Arlington, Plano, Dallas, and Ft. Worth, TX for Adult Protection Services and Child Protective Services. Learn more about the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, the abuse hotlines, DFPS news and state-wide statistics. https://www.dfps.state.tx.us/

Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County (CACCC) - With offices in Plano and McKinney, the Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County provides safety, healing and justice for children victimized by abuse or neglect in our community. The CACCC uses a multidisciplinary team approach to facilitate the investigation, treatment and prosecution of child abuse. Working with law enforcement and Child Protective Services, the CACCC brings all services to more than 3,3000 abused children and mono-offending family members under one roof to minimize additional trauma to vulnerable children.

Finding the Best CPS Lawyer in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX

If you have been accused of child neglect or abuse by the CPS in Texas, including the areas of Collin County, Dallas County, Tarrant County, Denton County, and Wise County, contact Stuckle & Associates PLLC today. Paul Stuckle is an aggressive family crime defense lawyer in Dallas - Fort Worth who will make every effort to fight the allegations against you.

The information provided on this site is for general information purposes only. The information you obtain at this website is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your own individual situation. Use of this website or submission of an online form, does not create an attorney-client relationship.

The hiring of a sexual abuse defense attorney in Texas is an important decision that should not be based solely upon advertisements or an internet website. Before you decide which attorney to hire for your case, ask us to send you free additional written information about our qualifications and experience.